Reinach, Willemse And Gelant Back To Boost Stormers
The Stormers head into their coastal derby encounter boosted by the returns of three Springboks as they aim to make it three wins out of three in the South African shield of the Vodacom URC clash against the Sharks at DHL Stadium on Saturday.
Following returns from injury and concussion protocols, scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, inside centre Damian Willemse, and fullback Warrick Gelant are back in the starting line-up for the much-anticipated clash, which kicks off at 19h30.
In an all-Springbok halfback pairing, Reinach partners captain Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, while Willemse slots into midfield alongside Wandisile Simelane – with Gelant at the back where he will link up with Leolin Zas and Suleiman Hartzenberg, who moves from midfield to the wing.
The loose trio sees one change, as Marcel Theunissen comes in for Evan Roos, who has been rested as a precaution with a minor groin strain.
Connor Evans and JD Schickerling are the lock pairing.
Ntuthuko Mchunu has recovered from a HIA he suffered in last week’s encounter against Leicester Tigers and will start once again with Neethling Fouché and André-Hugo Venter.
Imad Khan and Jurie Matthee are the two backs in a 6-2 split on the replacements bench, which also sees forwards Sazi Sandi, Salmaan Moerat, and Louw Nel come into the matchday squad.
JJ Kotze, Vernon Matongo, and Reuben Van Heerden complete the tally of substitutes on the bench.
Following a capacity crowd three weeks ago against the Bulls, a similar crowd and electrifying atmosphere are expected for the battle against the Sharks.
Director of Rugby John Dobson said that it will be another special occasion in front of a packed DHL Stadium.
“This is our third and final home derby of the season, and we are set for another blockbuster in front of a huge crowd,” Dobson said in anticipation.
“These are the matches that players, coaches, and fans live for, and we know that it will take a big performance to get the result,” he added.
“We have some quality players coming into the team, and they will all need to hit the ground running and bring plenty of intensity.”
“It is fantastic to have the likes of Cobus, Damian, and Warrick back in the mix, and we are also excited to see what the likes of Marcel and Louw can do given this opportunity,” he said.
DHL Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (captain), 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Marcel Theunissen, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Connor Evans, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Ruben van Heerden, 21 Louw Nel, 22 Imad Khan, 23 Jurie Matthee.
